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GUIDANCE FOR
ASSESSING THE DESIGN, SIZE AND
OPERATION OF SEDIMENTATION PONDS USED
IN MINING
DRAFT
Introduction
Contaminated surface runoff from disturbed
areas of operating mines is a major source of
suspended solids, which can adversely affect
the receiving environment around these mines
i
. The disturbed areas are usually large and
include such works as the mine pits,
benefaction plants and related facilities, mine
dumps, tailings ponds roads, ditches, etc. It is
the responsibility of each mining company to
collect and treat the contaminated runoff from
its operating area before allowing it to be
discharged into natural watercourses. Most of
the sediment in the contaminated surface
runoff should be controlled by various
techniques of erosion control, surface runoff
control, and reclamation, as outlined in the
Mines Regulation Guidelines, and in
publications listed in Appendix A to this
document.
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
2.
The design flow for removal of
suspended solids in sedimentation ponds
should correspond to the 10-year, 24-hour
flood flow. Rainfall, snow melt, and
combined rainfall-snow melt events should be
considered in determining the design flow.
3.
Accurate and up-to-date topographical
maps should be used for the design and
construction of sedimentation ponds, and
these maps should have a maximum of 2
metre contours. (For very large facilities in
steep terrain, 5 metre contours may be
adequate)
4.
Sedimentation ponds should either last
the lifetime of the mine without requiring
removal of accumulated sediment, or should
have provision for easy removal of sediment at
regular intervals. Normally a pond is allowed
to fill with sediment up to 50% of its effective
depth, with 1.5 m (minimum)xvii depth of pond
liquid above the sediment.
5.
Ideally, a smaller pond should be
located upstream from the main sedimentation
pond to remove the coarse fraction of the
sediment. This smaller pond should be
designed to have easy removal of sediment.
6.
The inlet section of the pond should
have some type of energy dissipater (such as
barriers, baffles, etc.) to spread out the flow
and reduce the velocity of the incoming water.
7.
The discharge section of the pond
should be at the opposite end to the inlet
section and should have a spillway (or decant
or discharge riser) designed to maintain a
minimum 0.5 m freeboard on the embankment
in a 1 in 200 year flood event. The spillway
must be armored to prevent erosion of the
spillway channel. Also, there should be
provisions in the design for installing facilities
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DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
g
18
(S 1) D
where
Vs = spherical particle terminal settling
velocity, cm/s
2
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
D = (Stokes) diameter (cm) of a non-
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
Properly reclaimed.
Approved:
------------------------
R. J. Driedger, P. Eng.
Director, Pollution Prevention and
Remediation
3.
The pond freeboard must be
maintained at 0.5 m minimum.
4.
The depth of sediment in the
sedimentation pond must be monitored at
sufficient intervals to plan for sediment
removal at minimum pond flow, but before
the water depth decreases to one metre. A
decision from the Regional Waste Manager or
applicable regulation may specify a minimum
fluid depth.
5.
The sediment removed from the
sedimentation ponds may be disposed of by
burial or by use in site reclamation unless
prohibited by a permit or regulation.
6.
Should the suspended solids in the
pond discharge exceed the maximum
permitted or regulated discharge quality, then
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DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
GLOSSARY
Agglomerate - this occurs when the van der
Waals attractive forces on particles in a
suspension exceeds the repulsive forces
produced by the Zeta Potential of particles in
liquid suspension. Particles are then able to
form clusters (agglomerules) under suitable
conditions and then achieve settling
Agglomeration - the action or process of
gathering into an agglomerule or cluster.
Authorization - a regulation, a permit,
approval, license, pollution prevention plan,
operational certificate, order, certificate, pest
management plan, certificate of compliance,
conditional certificate of compliance, or
approval in principle.
Brownian motion - the phenomenon of
particles in a suspension being jostled about
by the impact of molecules of the fluid. This
then results in the inability of particles of
about 5 microns or smaller to settle without
agglomeration or flocculation.
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
PAGE 9 OF 15
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
APPENDIX A
Information sources for the design of
sedimentation ponds and the control of
suspended solids in run-off.
Available from
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DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
APPENDIX B
Settling Aids
It is desirable to determine if there is a need
for settling aids prior to the construction and
operation of the sedimentation pond. This
may prevent permit noncompliance and allow
better planning and cost projection compared
to having to add settling aid addition facilities
during operation of the pond. Factors to
consider include location of metering
equipment, site access and the provision of
electrical power.
If the size analysis of the particulate in the
feed to the sedimentation pond is such that the
0.01 mm content will produce a pond
overflow lower than the 25 mg/l (or as
specified in a permit from the Regional Waste
Manager), settling aids are unlikely to be
required. When initial investigations indicate
that there is sufficient 0.01 mm and finer
particulate matter entering the sedimentation
pond(s) to exceed the allowable pond
overflow TSS quality during normal
operation, the following information is
applicable.
1.
If the size analysis is performed using
settling methods, this will measure the content
of 0.01 mm spherical particles which takes
into account the shape and other factors
which tend to produce slower settling.
Initial testing should establish whether 0.01
mm and finer particulate matter entering the
pond settles naturally due to low particle
surface charge conditions, which may lead to
efficient agglomeration. The testing
conditions regarding the particle surface
charge, or zeta potential, must duplicate the
conditions present during the operation of the
sedimentation pond. If the fluid being used in
the test is essentially runoff water, then
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DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
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DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
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DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
APPENDIX C
Limitations of Stokes Equation
The non-spherical shape of most mineral
particles necessitates the application of a
correction factor xxii,xxiii,xxiv to the area of the
sedimentation pond calculated using Stokes
equation. A correction factor would be based
on the lower settling rate produced by the
particles not being spherical. Factors proposed
vary from 0.8524 to 0.5022, or if applied to
the sedimentation pond area, 1.18 to 2.0.
Reference xiii indicates that while the direct
application of the Stokes equation is not valid
for particles larger than 0.065 mm, a modified
method is provided. Using the information in
this same reference suggests the correct safety
factor to be applied (due to the non-spherical
shape of many mineral particles) is closer to
2.0 rather than 1.2. The initial draft guidelines
proposed a correction factor of 1.2. This
factor appears to have been derived from
Pettyjohn and Christiansenxxv, which is based
on calculations of symmetrical shapes which
are not spheres. The higher factors are based
on reference 22 that used testing of different
mineral grains. This reference indicates that
for very flat particles, a higher factor than 2.0
would be applicable.
DRAFT - Guidance for the Design, Size and Operation of Sedimentation Ponds Used in Mining
References
Sedimentation in a Salmon Stream, S. P. Shapely and D. M. Bishop, J. Fish Res. d. Canada, 22(4), 1965
The Toxicity and Use of Flocculants for Sediment Control, Mark Strosher, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks,
Cranbrook B.C.
iii
Effects of Synthetic Polyelectrolytes on Selected Aquatic Organisms, K. E. Biesinger and G. N. Stokes, Journal WPCF,
Volume 58, Number 3, March 1986
iv
Polyelectrolyte Toxicity Tests by Fish Avoidance Studies, L. D. Spragg, R. Gehr and J. Hajinicolaou, Wat. Sc. Tech. Vol
14 pp 1564 - 1567
v
Everything you wanted to know about coagulants and flocculants, Zeta Meta Inc.
vi
Coagulants and Flocculants, J. Bratby, Uplands Press Ltd.
vii
A Systematic Approach for Flocculant Selection and Evaluation, H.A. Hamza, Proceedings of the Tenth Annual
Meeting of the Canadian Mineral Processors, 1978.
viii
Chemical Factors in the Flocculation of Mineral Slurries with Polymeric Flocculants, VIII International Mineral
Processing Congress, Leningrad, 1968, R. W. Slater, J. P. Clark, J. A. Kitchener.
ix
Principles of Action of Polymeric Flocculants, 1972, J. A. Kitchener, Br. Polym. J. 1972, 4, 217-229
x
Settling Ponds at Line Creek Coal Mine, A. G. Chandler.
xi
A Cost-Sensitive Approach to Sediment Pond Design, Yaroslav Shumuk, CIM, 1986.
xii
Ambient Water Quality Guidelines (Criteria) for Turbidity, Suspended and Benthic Sediments, BC Environment,
Victoria B.C., 1997
xiii
Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, Goldman S.J., Jackson K., Bursztynsky T.A,McGraw-Hill Book Company
xiv
Reclamation and Environmental Protection Handbook for Sand, Gravel and Quarry Operations in B.C., Ministry of
Transportation and Highways, Properties Branch
xv
Land Development Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Habitat, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Ministry of
Environment, Lands and Parks.
xvi
Erosion and Sediment Control - Surface Mining in the Eastern U.S., EPA, 1976 (Volume 1, "Design")
xvii
Placer Mining Settling Ponds, Volume I, Design Principles, Sigma Resource Consultants Ltd., Department of Indian
Affairs and Northern Development, June, 1986.
xviii
Process Design Manual for Suspended Solids Removal, EPA, January 1975
xix
Aquatic Chemistry, W. Stumm and J. J. Morgan, pp. 478, Wiley-Interscience.
xx
An Evaluation of the Efficiency and Toxicity of Two Cationic Liquid Flocculants, R. B. Allan and D. A. Davidge, April
1985, Environment Canada.
xxi
Effects on Fish of Effluents and Flocculants from Coal Mine Waste Water, June 1985, Alberta Environmental Centre.
xxii
Uniform and Non-Uniform Motion of Particles in Fluids, H. Heyward, Inst. Chem. Engs. London
xxiii
The Evaluation of Powders, H. Heywood, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Supplement, 1963, 15 pp. 56T - 73T
xxiv
Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook, pages 5-61 to 5-65.
xxv
Pettyjohn and Christiansen, Chem. Eng. Progr. 44, 157-172, 1948
ii
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